Privy Council WE undersubscribers now Prisoners for the truth in the Cannongate Tolbuith though most vile yet it pleased the Holy Ghost to work on our Spirits of a time past in clearing causes of wrath and shewing us duty from day to day that now in some time past we are and have been called Mad men and Devils and now there is none in the Kingdom in Prison or out of Prison that we can converse with as Christians And yesterday being the 26 day of the 5 th Moneth it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to take out of our Bibles the Psalms in meeter for several causes mentioned afterwards for the Book of the Revelation says if any Man should add unto these things God shall add unto him the Plagues which are written in this Book and we did Burn them in our Prison-house and sweep away the Ashes Likewise in the Holy Scriptures we renounce Chapters and Verses and Contents because it is only done by Humane Wisdom and the changing of the Books after the Holy Ghost had placed them we being pressed to this work by the Holy Ghost do renounce the Impression and Translation of both the Old and New Testaments and that for additions put unto them by Men and other causes as first putting in horrid Blasphemy making a Tyrant Patron of the Church when the Scriptures holds of none but of God and needs no Patronage from any King Prince or Rulers and the writing of that Blasphemous Sacrilegious as some call it the Epistle Dedicatory filled with such Language as Dread Sovereign Highness most High and Mighty most Sacred Majesty and likewise the horrid unparallell'd Blasphemy making a Triangle with these Hebrew Letters in it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehovah representing the Trinity and likewise putting in horrid Pictures in several places of the Holy Scripture and likewise drawing scores betwixt the Books of the Bible and other superfluous Traditions Likewise we renounce the Catechisms Larger and Shorter and Confession of Faith against which we have many causes one cause is in the 23 Chap. for the Scripture proofs that they cite proves the contrary of that they write We renounce the Acts of the General Assembly and all the Covenants and acknowledging of Sins and engagement to Duties and that which they call Preaching Books and all their works way form and manner of Worship Doctrine Discipline and Government and the studying on their Books the thing they call their Preaching for instead of going to God for his mind to the People they go to their Books and so makes their Books their God and their leader and so all following that way go to Hell together The cause of this is we find none of their works but they are like themselves Carnal and Corrupt according to that Scripture Hate the Garment spotted with the Flesh. We renounce the limiting of the Lord's Mind by Glasses and their ordination of Men only Learned and their saying that Learning is the essential of a Minister without grace Likewise we renounce their manner of renewing Covenants pressing Mens Consciences to take a Covenant and by so doing has filled the Kirk and State with Tyrants and incarnate Devils as we find this day they knew the Men to have no marks of grace but on the other hand to be prophane as them they call King and Rulers Captains and Comanders in State and Armies and all Kirk Officers whom we call Tyrants and Iudas's for by so doing they have corrupted both Kirk and State as this day Kirk Men and States Men whom we call Iudas's and Tyrants are studying in opposition to Holiness and the work of Reformation who entred in by these same Covenants are now pursuing our lives for a Christian walk And likewise we renounce the Covenant taken at Queensferry commonly called Cargil's Covenant and likewise Hamiltown Declaration yea and Sanquhare Declaration because they may and has owned these and are owning these who are Enemies to Holiness and were Enemies to us as some of them said we should suffer Kirk Censure for giving over the old Apostat Ministers to the Devil and some of them counted us their Enemies for the truths sake and sent us word they would protest against us and so we justifie our Lord in breaking them at Airds Moss we justifie the Lord likewise in taking away that they call Field-Preachings or mockings because they were nothing but Rebellion against the High Lord as we find now when our Lord is come to the Cross there is neither Minister nor People to bide by him of the many Thousands has flocked to the thing they call Preachings or mockings and therefore now all are found void of saving Grace and so we see that word is accomplished Strait and narrow is the way that leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it And that other word many shall strive and shall not be able We finding all former Actions to be such as Devils has and can creep in at as Declarations and Covenants and get the name of Saints Therefore this day it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to renounce and burn the former Covenants and Declarations because they are not strait enough according to Scripture and all their Works such like and therefore we will own none of their Works till it please the Lord to give us teaching from himself By this all may know and understand we overturn and formally burns all the former Works of the Clergy of Scotland and throughout all the whole World that are in opposition to Holiness dated the 6 th day of the Week being the 27. of the 5 th Month 1681. about Mid-day We renounce and decline all Authority throughout the World and all that are in Authority and all their Acts and Edicts from the Tyrant Charles Stuart to the lowest Tyrant and burns them the same day being the 6 th day of the week the 27 day of the 5 th Month 1681. at Cannongate Tolbuith Iron-house We renounce the names of Months as Ianuary February March April May Iune Iuly August September October November December Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Martimas Holydays for there is none holy but the Sabbath day Lambmas day Whitsunday Candlemas Beltan Cross stones and Images Fairs named by Saints and all the remnants of Popery Tool or Christmas old Wives Fables and By-words as Palmsunday Carlinesunday the 29 th of May being dedicat by this Generation to Prophanity Peacesunday Halloweven Hogmynae night Valentins even no Marrying in the Month they call May the innumerable Relicts of Popery Atheism and Sorcery and New years day and Hansell-Monday Dredgies and Likewakes Valenteins Fair Chappels and Chaplains likewise Sabbath days Feastings Blythmeats Banquetings Revelling Pipings Sportings Dancings Laughings Singing prophane and lustful Songs and Ballads Table-Lawings Monk-lands Frier-lands Blackfrier-lands Kirks and Kirkyards and Mencat Crosses Fount-stones Images Registers of Lands and Houses Register Bonds Discharges and all their Law-works Inhibitions
all that are unchast in thoughts words and behaviour and all that makes no Conscience of their way and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye shall tremble that day when they shall enter into Eternity when it shall be said as it was to Dives Thou in thy Lifetime hadst thy good things and Lazarus his bad things For except a Man be born again he can in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven We take up the Book of the Holy Scripture at the Lords command and for a Testimony of our Dissatisfaction at the abounding Corruptions both of Translators and the Press and likewise for a Testimony of our desires and intentions for a new Translation and Impression free of the foresaid and other abuses we to our power reform our own Books and sayes that the word of God needs no humane Art we hold that the Word of God is laid the Foundation of this new Building and shortly it shall become the head Corner stone of the Building over both Kirk and Stater Kirk-Men and States-Men so that Scripture towards the end of the Rev. of Iohn shall be fulfilled And I saw Heaven opened and behold a white Horse and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True and in Righteousness he doth Iudge and make War his Eyes were as a flame of Fire and on his Head were many Crowns and he had a new Name written that no Man knew but he himself and he was Cloathed with a Vesture dipt in Blood and his Name is called the word of God And first to shew that we take the Word of God in every point to be our Rule the sum and end of our so much reproached and mocked at Exercise Fasting and Prayer will be found in the Book of Psalms Be thou exalted O God above the Heavens and let thy glory be above all the Earth It is written in the Acts of the Apostles It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us but they usurping Supremacy says by the Authority of the General Assembly allows these Psalms to be sung in Congregations c. which we renounce And more we think the Psalm Book in Meeter and no other thing ought to be within the broads of the Bible but the simple Scriptures of Truth the Psalms may be had in a Book by themselves We are so reproached and calumniate that we are forced to make our defence and shew that we have mourned fasted and prayed many a day and many a night this last Winter many times in the open Fields in Frost and Snow while our Cloaths were frozen upon us and our Feet frozen in our Shooes as the Town of cursed Borronstonness can witness and all this to find out the causes of our Lords tarrying when those who are now calling us Devils were turning themselves upon their Ivory beds like a door upon the Hinges eating the fat and drinking the sweet at their own ease And when we were driven thence by Persecution we took our selves to the Fields holding still by our duty where many Women did offer themselves to the Work with whom our spirits was many a time burdened whom we could not put away as our blessed Lord dealt with Iudas whom he knew would betray him without manifest causes We stayed not with them but on solemn days such as Sabbaths and appointed times for publick meeting but when they took their rest betwixt hands we continnued still in Fields nights and days fasting and praying for two or three days together several times and it was always their fear we should propose some question to try them for Separation and that night before we was taken we warned them that the Soldiers would come and told them to use their freedom we saw them also a mile off an hour before they came and none of them would go away and after we were brought in hither after some several days Fasting and Prayer we being warned by the Holy Ghost followed Esther's advice and continued from eight a Clock of the morning the 24 day of the 5 Month till the 27 at four afternoon Fasting and Praying we sent them word likewise to Fast and Pray and when we sent them the answer of our Prayers in the writ they called us Devils Thence we fasted till the 28 day at night and thence till the 30 at night waiting still to see if they would recover but they waxed still worse and we were forced to write this to vindicate our carriage towards them Walter Ker. Iohn Gibb David Iamison Iohn Young This is Exactly Compared and Collationed with the Principal Copy by me WIL. PATERSON Cl. Sti. Concilii FINIS A Catalogue of some Books Printed for Io. Hindmarsh at the Golden-Ball over against the Royal-Exchange in Cornhill THE Antiquity of the Royal Line of Scotland farther Cleared and Defended against the Exceptions lately offer'd by Dr. Stillingfleet in his Vindication of the Bishop of St. Asaph By Sir George Mackenzie His Majesty's Advocate for the Kingdom of Scotland The Moral History of Frugality with its opposite Vices Covetousness Niggardliness Prodigality and Luxury Written by the Honourable Sir George Mackenzie late Lord Advocate of Scotland A Memorial for His Highness the Prince of Orange in Relation to the Affairs of Scotland Together with the Address of the Presbyterian-Party in that Kingdom to His Highness And some Observations on that Address By two Persons of Quality An Account of the Present Persecution of the Church in Scotland in several Letters The Case of the Present Afflicted Clergy in Scotland truly represented To which is added for Probation the attestation of many unexceptionable Witnesses to every Particular and all the Publick Acts and Proclamations of the Convention and Parliament relating to the Clergy By a Lover of the Church and his Country An Historical Relation of the late Presbyterian General Assembly held at Edinburgh from October 16. to November 13. In the Year 1690. In a Letter from a Person in Edinburgh to his Friend in London Vid. Cargil and Sanchars Covenant at the end * That is this noise of Prisoners yet preserved alive So the Preacher applied his Doctrin The truly learned Advocate for the King †Illud tamen generaliter observandum quod Iurisdictio nunquam privative sed cumulative delegaâ—i potest non est quasi transitio juris de unâ— persona in aliam sed tantum mandata jurisdictio quod non obstante Delegatione adhuc remanet in delegante Considering the violent and cruel temper of their Enemies * Compare this with the Sanchar Declaration and Cargil's Covenant at the end of this Paper * That is the same Punishment which the Law provides against such a Criminal Art eod II. Art 3. ejusdem Art 10. Act 92. Ses. II. Iac. 6. * Vid. Cargils Covenant and Sanchar Declaration
Hornings Letters of Adjudications Ships-passes Prophanity and all unchast thoughts words and Actions formality and indifferency Story-books and Ballads Romances and Pamphlets Comedy-books Cards and Dice and all such like we disown all of them and burns them the 6 th day of the week being the 27 th day of the 5 th Month 1681 at the Cannongate Tolbuith Iron-house We renounce all the Customs and Fashions of this Generation their way and custom of eating and drinking sleeping and wearing and all our own former ways as well Religious as Moral in so far as they have been squared and casten in this Generations mould and all our iniquious courses lightness and unconcernedness with the Glory of God the only end wherefore we were sent into the World the 7 th day of the Week being the 27 th of the 5 th Month. We renounce all that are now in Prison-houses or Correction-houses Men and Women for none of them are with us in this work and when we sent them a Copy of this our Renounciation they called us Devils The Copy of this we burnt instead of the Books and Works of this Apostate Generation and buried the Ashes in our and covered it with dust Notwithstanding of our burning Covenants and Declarations and renouncing of them and their works Be it known to All that we do neither vindicate the cursed Murderers of their Bloodshed on Fields and Scaffolds and Seas and other horrid Cruelties such as Torturings Imprisonments Pillagings Banishments Scourgings Stigmatizings c. nor condemn we the worthy Martyrs and the sufferings of others only we give the Lord Justice and vindicats his tarrying for now the Furnace has brought forth a more pure Cause which we term Holiness to be built upon the word of God That all may know and see our innocency and know our end is and was the Glory of God in all we did though we came far short and in the Months past we could get none to shew us kindness for Meat or Lodging though we could pay for it our selves That word in Malachy Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me even the whole Nation And likewise in Deut. We seeing the Land all thus cursed and all justifying themselves in that iniquity were afraid to eat or drink or sleep under a Roof with them though there were many that would have shelter'd us yet we could not eat drink converse or pray with them lest we had come under the Curse so many times our Beds has been in the open Fields and we have come to houses and they would not sell us Meal to make Potage of and we have found Meal and Water a rare dish because the curse was off it and it was blessed to us according to that Scripture the blessing of the Lord maketh Rich. We are not murmuring in this but when the Weather has been worst Winds and Rain cold Frost and Snow and when we had fasted most we were best satisfied according to that Scripture all shall work together for their good that truly seek the Lord when we had outward straits then we had most inward peace we had joy in the Holy Ghost so the things the World calls the worst of our life as reproaches imprisonments nakedness hunger and cold c. we had rather be suffering for our Lords sake than be Kings of the whole earth for our joy no man can take from us and our Prison is so pleasant through our Lord that we care for no company for we know no company but all are cursed and we know not what it is to be weary but according to that Scripture eat and drink my beloved yea eat and drink abundantly we are rather in Paradise These things were cleared to us when fasting and praying and we were pressed to do this by the Holy Ghost we had many Fasts about this thing and this Week we took some Milk and Bread in the third day of the week in the morning being the 24 after the 5 th Month 1681. And tasted neither meat nor drink nor any other kind of living till the 6 th day of the week at 4 day of noon and then we took a little Milk and Bread for to find out the causes of his wrath we have wandred mourned wept many a night and day in Houses and Fields for we have and has had no other end but his Glory that the Elect such as should be saved might be brought in and it is only Conscience that keeps us from giving Men Reverence in word and behaviour though some call us dumb Devils and unlearned Bruits and one of us when coming before them they call Rulers was called a Block-head notwithstanding of all that came on us we know and are taught by the Holy Scriptures to give Honour unto whom Honour is due and to salute one another but it has been our work of a time to renounce the filthy vile Imbracings Salutations and Complements of this Generation which they call Court-breeding our carriage professing to follow the Lord Jesus should be steed and circumspect according to that Scripture Let us walk circumspectly not as Fools but as wise Men as it is written in Matthew Let your light so shine before Men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Cursed are they that says peace to a Land who are in the place of Watchmen when the Lord says no peace which practice we silly unlearned Creatures renounce for we bless him he has keeped us from resting till the Ark rest and as for these they call Watchmen that cries peace or keep silence we shall refer them to the Prophet Ezekiel which ye may read at leisure which we think shall be Scotland Doom for we have heard tell of few of them they call Ministers but they have all said peace when brought before the Enemies to witness their practice being most unconscionable on Hill sides and Moor sides before several thousands they called them Tyrants and intollerable Oppressors and their Government Tyranny and Oppression and that the Crown of Supremacy that Charles Stuart had usurped over the Kirk would weigh him down from the Throne and all that Race with him and when they are brought before them and into Prisons nothing but in with the other supplication to the Honourable Lords of His Majesties Secret Council beck and beinge and please your Lordships Grace c. and now they are all at peace with his Enemies save one whom we disown and so or long the Enemies shall Curse them when the Lord awakens their Consciences though we confess we have had some special Witnesses of Ministers and we think or long the Malignants shall pursue these Ministers to Death for unfaithfulness for the vilest Creatures in the Land high and low Rich and Poor noble and ignoble must give account for works done in the flesh then the Dogs Sorcerers Whoremongers and Murderers and Idolaters False-Swearers Cursers Sabbath-breakers Idle loose Livers and